Five 9's Winners: See the Top Performing Clubs of 2023!
Five 9's Winners: See the Top Performing Clubs of 2023!
We all know that getting healthy, and staying healthy isn’t always quite that simple. At the beginning, we have a rush of motivation to lose unwanted weight, and get fit. So, we sign up for a new membership at a local fitness center, with the best of intentions, but finding that motivation to actually continue to make it to the gym can be quite challenging for most people after the initial rush of motivation fades away.
This is why selecting which local gym you want to become a member of involves several factors that a potential members will want to take into consideration in order to stay motivated to keep coming in.
What do potential members actually look for when choosing a gym? What are gym members expecting in today’s world?
Your prospective members want more than just a space to workout in. Nowadays, technology even becomes the forefront in mind when they are trying to decide which fitness center to join. Members will want to know if you have WiFi throughout the facility. Other important factors that will play into their decision might be whether or not you have saunas, locker rooms, or a pool to train in. Present any amenities you offer members in your facilities, as easily accessible features of their membership. For example, if you’ve put in a new snack bar, or upgraded your group exercise rooms, make sure that you prominently include these features in your marketing and advertising materials.
Members will be looking for extra services – not just a fitness center floor with machines and equipment. For parents, a childcare area that is staffed might be the service that sells that membership for you. Do you have staffed personal trainers that a member can utilize for an additional monthly cost? Other services that gym members are looking for include nutritionists that they can go to for questions, a massage therapist to work out their sore muscles, even physiotherapy can add great value to a potential member. Marketing your fitness center as a place that is a one-stop-shop for all aspects of wellness shows prospective members that you are willing to invest in your members, and want to help them achieve their fitness and health goals.
Another thing that members will check out is the quality of equipment that you have. Is your gym equipped with the latest and greatest fitness machines? Are there enough workout machines available so that members don’t have to spend their time at the gym waiting for one to become available? This is something that can be very frustrating for a gym member just getting off work, to make a quick trip to the gym to get their workout in, only to find that there isn’t a single machine available for them to utilize.
Weights are also important to members. If they see crowds waiting around to use the free weights, they are likely to get discouraged. Ensure that you have plenty of variety when it comes to weight training, such as multiple sets of varied weights.
Offering a variety of guided classes can be important to a lot of gym members. These should include a varied selection for different levels of experience and skill. Sometimes a member gets bored at their current gym because they are losing interest in the daily treadmill sessions. Therefore, discussing your various group exercise classes to a potential member is a great marketing resource for your gym, as you can inspire them to try something different and explore a workout they have never tried out before.
The location of your gym should be strategically placed in your town, and offer convenient hours. Gyms that are located near major business centers or placed in residential neighborhoods are optimal locations for convenience. No one wants to sit in traffic traveling across town just to get their workout in. It is just as important to offer open hours during times when it’s convenient to most people to work out. Potential gym members will also ask about your holiday hours. A lot of people like working out on the holidays, since they likely aren’t working. Ideally, your gym hours should be an easy fit for them into their daily routine, so they don’t feel like it is a burden to get in a workout.
Always be upfront with your membership fees. As I am sure you have seen, there are some gyms that advertise a $15 per month membership cost, only to later find out that there are a bunch of hidden fees that are added on to their monthly bill. Honesty is always the best policy here. For members who are on a budget, the cost of your membership is going to be a deciding factor for them.
When marketing your gym, make sure that you don’t lose potential members because you fail to advertise special discounts that you might offer. These include discounts for seniors, families, military, students, etc.
Choosing a gym can be tough for members, because everyone has a set of specific reasons for choosing one gym over all the others available. Don’t lose potential members because they are confused about what you offer. Your marketing materials express exactly what they will be getting with their membership. Every one of your members should know what to expect at every single visit to your gym.
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